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Barney Fife
Overview Don Knotts created Deputy Barney Fife as a hyperkinetic but comically inept counterpart to Mayberry's practical and composed Sheriff Andy Taylor. Sometimes considered a blowhard with delusions of grandeur, Barney fancies himself an expert on firearms, women, singing and just about any other topic of conversation brought up while he is around. Conversely, Andy knows that Barney's false bravado is a smokescreen for his insecurities, and low self-confidence. Barney is often overly analytical and alarmist about benign situations, such as the modest Mayberry crime scene. He takes a minor infraction, blows it out of proportion, and then concocts an elaborate solution (sometimes involving inept civilians, like Otis Campbell or Gomer Pyle) to resolve it. This only inflicts tremendous angst on Andy. In one early episode, where Andy was briefly summoned away, acting sheriff Barney proceeds to book and lock up nearly everyone in town. Despite his shortcomings, Barney is zealous about law enforcement, regularly spouting off penal codes and ordinances to thugs and jaywalkers alike. An emotional powderkeg, Barney often overreacts with panic, despair or bug-eyed fear. He has what he describes as a "low sugar blood content." Barney is smug and self-confident, until true leadership is sought, whereupon he dances about in a fluster. Outwardly "a man of the world," Barney is truly naïve and easily duped. Though constantly warned by Andy, Barney falls for countless scams. This gullibility is evident in many episodes, including, ("Barney's First Car") where he is conned into buying a lemon from a crafty old widow. A gossip and gadfly, Barney is known for blabbing both personal and police secrets (such as Andy's scrutiny of women's rings at the jewelry store, or the locale and time of a stakeout or arrival of an armored car). While this may expose him as a halfwit, Barney is at heart a caring, amiable soul. Despite a knack for exasperating the townsfolk, he is fondly embraced by most of them. Nonetheless, Barney still has his rare moments of courage and loyalty. Two episodes demonstrates Barney's ability to rise up to challenges. In the second season episode, "Andy on Trial," a millionaire wants revenge on Andy for giving him a traffic ticket. The traffic violator then dispatches a seductive female reporter to town and she prompts Barney for details of Andy's life, twisting them into transgressions. It all comes back to haunt both deputy and sheriff when said information puts Andy on trial for misconduct. After the prosecuting attorney forces Barney to admit everything he said was true in front of Andy. He sheepishly admits to playing up to the sexy reporter (one of the rare times he admits to getting full up of himself), but vowing that Andy is an outstanding lawman, whose caring methodology is far more effective than "going by the book." In the third season episode "Lawman Barney," two farmers illegally selling produce on the road do not take a warning from Barney seriously and run him off the road, taunting him. When Andy makes a more serious warning to the farmers later, they reveal that they had run off a deputy earlier. Knowing that they're talking about Barney, Andy makes up a story about "Crazy Gun Barney" and "that dirty game he plays" and how his running off was just a ploy. When Andy orders Barney to return to the scene, he sees the same farmers panic and rushing to get off the road upon seeing him, Barney believes they are at last taking him seriously and, as usual, begins to puff and swagger. Later, the farmers discover from the town locals that what Andy said about Barney was not true. Floyd (who was among those locals) goes to Andy and tells him the story, and that the farmers left a message that they were back in business and want Barney "as a customer." Barney overhears this and decides to go back to the scene with Andy. As he confronts the farmers on his own. He finds his inner strength, and as they get closer towards him, he tells them that despite them both being bigger than he is, his badge "represents a lot of people that are a lot bigger than either one of you." Defeated, the farmers pack up and leave. Running Gags One major comedic source is Barney's lack of ability with a firearm. After numerous misfires (usually a Colt or Smith & Wesson M&P .38 caliber revolver), Andy restricts Barney to carrying only a single bullet in his shirt pocket, "in case of an emergency." The bullet always seems to find its way back into the pistol, where, predictably, it is accidentally discharged. The accidental discharge of Barney's pistol becomes a running gag: Barney gives a lecture on gun safety and either shoots the floor through his holster, or assuming the safety latch is on, causes the gun to fire. Another gag has Barney locking himself or together with Andy in one of the jail cells, with the keys just out of reach. Realizing they can't free themselves, they shamelessly yell for help. Personal Life Early in the series, Andy and Barney comment that they are cousins. However, several episodes muddy the lineage and suggest that Barney may not be directly related to the Taylors. On "Aunt Bee's Invisible Boyfriend", Barney tells Andy, "If she {Aunt Bee} were my aunt, I'd wanna investigate this fella" (no familial Taylor ties). In one porch dialogue, Barney speaks to Andy about buying his folks a septic tank for their anniversary. Andy does not refer to them as aunt and uncle (no familial Fife ties). On several occasions, Aunt Bee reminds Andy that, "he's YOUR friend" (suggesting no blood kin to either Taylor). Yet in another installment, "Cousin Virgil", Andy is introduced to Barney's backward cousin Michael J. Pollard, who is obviously not related to the sheriff. While one can rule out a shared Taylor bond, the two could be related via Andy's maternal side, or most probably via Andy's late wife. Genetics aside, Barney and "Ange" (as he frequently addresses Andy, a derivation from Knotts' real-life nickname for Griffith) are best friends, having grown up together in Mayberry, and Barney maintains warm relations with Andy's son Opie and his Aunt Bee. When he's not patrolling the streets of Mayberry, Barney spends his free time dating a local girl named Thelma Lou (Betty Lynn) (whom he eventually marries in Return to Mayberry, a 1986 NBC movie). Thelma Lou is Barney's main girlfriend until his 1965 departure. Barney also dates other women, in particular, an oft-mentioned but never seen Bluebird Diner waitress named Juanita. Barney takes up residence in a few places including the Raleight YMCA and Mrs. Mendelbright's boarding house (where she forbids him from owning either a "hot plate" cooker or too bright a light bulb). In "Sheriff Barney" we learn that Barney lives at 411 Elm Street. However it is unclear if this address refers to Barney's own home or Mre. Mendelbright's boarding house address. When not on duty, he is usually seen in a fedora and a tweed suit (the "old salt and pepper.") Although the deputy fancies himself a singer, he has a "tin ear". Nearly being barred from singing engagements was a dilemma for Barney, and is highlighted by several episodes, most notably, "Barney and the Choir" and "The Song Festers". He does, however, serenade Juanita over the office phone, without complaints. Slip-Ups Some continuity slip-ups can be expected, as the series had several writers. An illustration of this is with the various middle names given for both Barney and Andy. In the episode "Class Reunion", Barney's middle name is Milton, though at other times he is called "Bernard P. Fife". In another episode, where he believes he is the descendant of Nathan Tibbs, a Mayberry Revolutionary hero, he says his name is "Barney 'Tibbs' Fife". Andy jokingly says, "I thought your middle name was Oliver." A similar problem exist with Andy's middle name, which was given as Jackson on his own show (when his high school photo was shown), but his newborn son's name was given as Andrew Samuel Taylor Jr. on Mayberry RFD (during a christening). World War II Like Andy, who was stationed in France, Barney served in World War II, although he was a file clerk who never left the United States (he stated that "me and this other fella ran the PX library" on Staten Island). (It should be noted that both Andy and Barney graduated from Mayberry Union High in June, 1945 and that the war in Europe was over in May 1945. With at least six weeks of basic training, Andy couldn't have been in Europe before August, 1945. Andy couldn't possibly have seen action on a European battlefield.) Barney was nevertheless proud of his war record: "I did my part to lick the dreaded Hun," he boasted on one occasion. Ironically, Barney later acquired knowledge of military discipline from Hugo Hopfleisch, a retired German soldier who served in World War I and eventually took up residence in Mayberry. "He may have been on the wrong team back in '18," Barney admitted, "but he's a heck of a soldier!" Notes Calling a police officer or authority figure "Barney Fife" has become an American slang term for gross ineptitude or overzealousness. Episodes The Andy Griffith Show *101 The New Housekeeper *102 The Manhunt *103 The Guitar Player *104 Ellie Comes to Town *105 Irresistible Andy *106 Runaway Kid *107 Andy the Matchmaker *110 Ellie for Council *111 The Christmas Story *112 Stranger in Town *113 Mayberry Goes Hollywood *114 The Horse Trader *115 Those Gossipin' Men *117 Alcohol and Old Lace *118 Andy the Marriage Counselor *119 Mayberry on Record *120 Andy Saves Barney's Morale *121 Andy and the Gentleman Crook *122 Cyrano Andy *124 The New Doctor *125 A Plaque for Mayberry *126 The Inspector *127 Ellie Saves a Female *128 Andy Forecloses *129 Quiet Sam *130 Barney Gets His Man *131 The Guitar Player Returns *132 Bringing Up Opie *201 Opie and the Bully *202 Barney's Replacement *203 Andy and the Woman Speeder *205 Barney on the Rebound *206 Opie's Hobo Friend *207 Crime-Free Mayberry *208 The Perfect Female *210 The Clubmen *211 The Pickle Story *212 Sheriff Barney *213 The Farmer Takes a Wife *214 The Keeper of the Flame *215 Bailey's Bad Boy *216 The Manicurist *217 The Jinx *218 Jailbreak *219 A Medal for Opie *220 Barney and the Choir *221 Guest of Honor *222 The Merchant of Mayberry *223 Aunt Bee the Warden *224 The County Nurse *225 Andy and Barney in the Big City *227 Three's a Crowd *228 The Bookie Barber *229 Andy on Trial *230 Cousin Virgil *231 Deputy Otis *301 Mr. McBeevee *302 Andy's Rich Girlfriend *303 Andy and the New Mayor *305 The Cow Thief *306 Barney Mends a Broken Heart *307 Lawman Barney *308 The Mayberry Band *311 Convicts-at-Large *313 The Bank Job *314 One-Punch Opie *315 Barney and the Governor *316 Man in a Hurry *317 High Noon in Mayberry *318 The Loaded Goat *319 Class Reunion *320 Rafe Hollister Sings *321 Opie and the Spoiled Kid *322 The Great Filling Station Robbery *323 Andy Discovers America *324 Aunt Bee's Medicine Man *326 Andy's English Valet *327 Barney's First Car *328 The Rivals *329 A Wife for Andy *330 Dogs Dogs Dogs *331 Mountain Wedding *332 The Big House *401 Opie the Birdman *402 The Haunted House *403 Ernest T. Bass Joins the Army *404 The Sermon for Today *407 A Black Day for Mayberry *408 Opie's Ill-Gotten Gain *409 A Date for Gomer *410 Up in Barney's Room *411 Citizen's Arrest *412 Opie and His Merry Men *413 Barney and the Cave Rescue *414 Andy and Opie's Pal *415 Aunt Bee the Crusader *416 Barney's Sidecar *417 My Fair Ernest T. Bass *418 Prisoner of Love *419 Hot Rod Otis *420 The Song Festers *421 The Shoplifters *422 Andy's Vacation *425 Divorce Mountain Style *426 A Deal Is a Deal *427 The Fun Girls *428 The Return of Malcolm Merriweather *429 The Rumor *430 Barney and Thelma Lou - Phfftt *431 Back to Nature *501 Opie Loves Helen *502 Barney's Physical *504 The Education of Ernest T. Bass *506 Barney's Bloodhound *507 Man in the Middle *508 Barney's Uniform *509 Opie's Fortune *510 Goodbye Sheriff Taylor *511 The Pageant *512 The Darling Baby *513 Andy and Helen Have Their Day *514 Three Wishes for Opie *515 Otis Sues the County *516 Barney Fife Realtor *518 The Rehabilitation of Otis *519 The Lucky Letter *520 Goober and the Art of Love *521 Barney Runs for Sheriff *522 If I Had a Quarter Million *523 TV or Not TV *525 The Case of the Punch in the Nose *526 Opie's Newspaper *527 Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau *528 The Arrest of the Fun Girls *529 The Luck of Newton Monroe *530 Opie Flunks Arithmetic *617 The Return of Barney Fife *618 The Legend of Barney Fife *718 A Visit to Barney Fife *719 Barney Comes to Mayberry *821 Barney Hosts a Summit Meeting Mayberry R.F.D. *101 Andy and Helen Get Married Category:The Andy Griffith Show Characters Category:Mayberry R.F.D. Characters